Automatic actuating mechanism



Patented Oct. I '2.9, 1940 UNITED sTATEs AUTOMATIC ACTUATING MECHANISM Karl Schwartz, Dusseldorf, Germany Application October 4, 1938, Serial No. 233,303

g In Germany April 2, 1937 1 claim. 01. rs1- 1) This invention relates to an automatic actuating mechanism or time switch which is particularly intended for use in making photographic iilms taken kinematically at intervals, butwhich 5 can, however, be also used with advantage for .releasing or operating other working processes at definitely adjustable intervals of time, with provision, if necessary, for automatic repetition of the release or operation effected by the mechanism, at regular and adjustable intervals of time.

According to the invention, it is proposed to add up individual units of time usually not adjustable, by means of a mechanical predetermining mechanism/of known character of decimal or similar construction, in which in consequence of lits construction the desired actuating movement is released after attaining a sum adjustable therein.

If these releases are to be repeated periodically, then according to the invention a predetermining mechanism also of known character is to be used which directly following a release automatically effects a resetting of the predetermining mechanism to the originally adjusted value, so that the addition is again commenced and the process is subsequently continuously repeated.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a time 'switch comprising a timing mechanism, a predetermining mechanism which can be adjustably set to indicate a required time period, a driving connection between the timing mechanism and the predetermining mechanism whereby the latter is operated step by step in accordance with given time units, and means Whereby a switching operation is effected by the predetermining mechanism when the same reaches the time period set thereon. I To produce the time units, a driving system of known character regulated as to time can be 40 used, for example a clockwork or a synchronous motor, the spindle ofl which makes one revolution in a certain period or closes a contact with eachv revolutionfwhich say by means of a lifting magnet eiects the running on of the predetermining mechanism. This method of driving does not therefore directly control the periods of time, las with the previous installations, but only vproduces the time units which are then added up by the predetermining mechanism. In order that the invention may be readily understood one embodiment; shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing will now be referred to. 'In the drawing: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a timed actuator according to the invention seen from the rear, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation from the left of Figure 1.

The principal parts of the timed actuator shown v5 are the time-regulated driving agent or timing mechanism l (e. g., synchronous motor), the predetermining mechanism 2 and the resetting magnet 3. With each revolution of the driving system I the predetermining mechanism 2 is moved forward one step to register one unit, the means employed for effecting this step by step actuation of the meter 2 consisting of a locking tooth," or ratchet 4 which is reciprccated by an eccentric on the timing mechanism spindle and which co- 1 operates with a ratchet wheel 5, which is secured to rotate with a toothed wheel 6 meshing with a driving spur-wheel l for .the first numeral miler or totaliser wheel H. In a manner well known, this totaliser wheel at each tenth step turns the 20 roller or totaliser wheel I2 of the next higher denomination which in its turn actuates the next higher wheel I3 and so on for all the wheels l3-l5. The consequence of this decimal. con- 25 struction is that with the five numeral rollers or totalisers shown,-referred to herein as system 1 any number between 0 and 99999 can be' metered.

Coupled with each o the individual numeral 30 rollers of this system (System I) is a roller or totaliser Wheel (2l-25) of a second system (system II). These rollers 2 I-25 are freely rotatable on the spindle 8 and are only moved forward byA the movement of the roller,y corresponding there- 35 to of the system I.

Rigid with each of the five rollers 2I`25 of the system II, is a cylindrical disc (3l-35) which at a point of its circumference has a cam in the form of a notch-like depression 4I-45. On these ve discs there rests under the pressure of the spring l0, a iive-ngered feeler lever .9 and it will be observed that only Awhen all the iive notches, H45, are in line, can the lever 9 rock clockwise (see Figure 2) and thereby close both 45 the switch contacts c for eiiecting the desired actuating or releasing movement, and the contacts c1 into the operating circuit for the resetting magnet 3, the function of which will be hereinafter described. 50

This important' rocking movement of the feeler lever 9 when the notches 4I-45 are aligned is arranged to take place when all the rollers of the system 1I indicate the value 0 in the front aperture lino! the housing. As long as any roller M corresponding ngerof the lever S is supported .by the circular portion of the periphery oi the appropriate disc (3l-35) and the rocking movement of the lever 9 cannot occur.

As the two numeral roller systems I and II -are oppositely coupled,. whilst the numbers however are arranged in similar order the system II subtracts whilst the system I adds up.

If now before commencing the actual metering process, the rollers of the systemfI are placed in the zero position and those of the system'II- which can be disengaged from system I bythe switching out lever Ill-are positioned to indicate the numerical sum on reaching which the switching operation at contacts c and c1is`to be effected then on the coupling of the systems with'the time-regulated driving mechanism 2, the system I will commence to add commencing from 0,

whilst the system II commences to subtract from the number initially set thereon.

At the moment when the system I reaches the desired number the lve rollers of the system II will have. reached the value I0., The five-nngered lever can then, rock clockwise (-see Fig. 2) and the switching operation is effected.

If the time-operated mechanism is to repeat this process periodically, then according to the invention a resetting device is provided by which, directly following the switching operation there follows the resetting of the predetermining mechanisrn tothe originally adjusted or set number so that a fresh addition and respectively subtraction is commenced. In order that no falsication of the duration of time of operation takes place, this resetting must naturally be so rapidly terminated that the metering mechanism is ready for a fresh predetermining-that is, the system I is again on f0, and the system II on the desired number-before the eccentrically moved ratchet vtooth engages the next tooth of theratchet wheel 5: As the release or switching operation takes place approximately towards the end of a forward movement of the ratchet tooth the period of the return movement of the ratchet tooth is available for the resetting. If there is xed asv the basic time unit of the driving spindle, one

revolution per second, then the resetting time of Z half a second must not be exceeded.

In the embodiment illustrated, the `resetting is v eiected by the magnet 3.

Rigid with each of the numeral rollers of the systeml, there is a heart-shaped cam piece (5I- adjacent to which is disposed one arm-of a five-armed lever I9. These arms carry on the end adjacentrthe cam pieces, corresponding counter cams which are so shaped that when pressed against the heart pieces they cause the latter to be rotated into a particular position irrespective of ltheir position at the time the arms of the lever I9 engage therewith. This position corresponds to that of 0 of 7'the upper numeral roller system I which, on its part, can be reado in the aperture I8. Y l

During this resetting, the numeral rollers II- I5 are mutually disengaged, the decimal actuating or transfer wheels ISI-64 and the driving spur- Wheel '1, being carried on a spindle 20- which is rocked anti-clockwise (see Fig. 2) with the resetting lever ;I9, against the pressure of the spring 2s, to disegage the wheels 1, and Isl-s4 from the totaliser wheels II-I5 and the wheel 6j- 'Anticlockwise movement of the resetting lever I9 is caused by the resetting magnet 3the circuit of which, as already Ilmentioned,'is closed over 2,219,686 of the system'II is not in the zero position, theA contacts c1, when lever 9 rocks clockwise upon the notches 4I45 coming into line. In this way it is ensured that the resetting takesplace actually directly following the release or switching operation. As the rollers of the system II remain ,coupled with those of the system I during the resetting, these also are again brought back into the originally adjusted position, whereupon the feeler lever 9 is disengaged from the notches M 05 andl rocked anticlockwise to open the contacts c and c1. The vresetting magnet 3 de-energises so that the resetting` lever I9 againv returns to the initial position shown with the result that the numeral l,roller'sl'are again coupledV Eandfy thus the original initial condition is re-'established Ifas above indicated-all the processes connected with the release and the resetting have taken palace withinhalf a revolution of the spindle of the driving mechanism the predetermining mechanism commences again with a fresh metering ofthe ,time units, when after reaching the f `/desirednumben the release and resetting again takes place, and so on. The process is repeated as often as desired in positive and always conv stant intervals of time, which are registered by the predetermining mechanism.

In order -to eliminate the resetting magnet `and thereby simplify the construction of the apparatus, it is proposed to use a predetermining mechanism, alsov of known construction, in which for example two complete numeral roller vor totaliser wheel systems are so coupled together that the one adds up whilst the other subtracts. Before setting in operation, the one system is adjusted to Zero and the other to the desired sum or number. During the metering therefore, the one runs up to the desired number, whilst the other runs down to Zero. When this instant is reached,` the operating movement is released i. e., the switching operation takes place, when at the same time a change gear is mechanically so changed over that the direction of drive of the two systems is reversed. On a further actuation, therefore, the iirst system commences .to subtract, whilst the second` one adds up. This 4oscillating process is also `continuously repeatedt It is furthermore easily possible to supply fthe numeral rollers of the-metering system not as usual in decimal arrangement but with agraduation which. corresponds to the standard system of measuring time. Thus, for example, for a sub-division into seconds, minutes and hours, there will be a decimal roller and sixdivision roller for the seconds, a decimal roller and six-division roller for the minutes, and a twenty four-division roller for the hours. This arrangement obviates the troublesome conversion of hours and minutes into seconds andconit was only possible to arrange switching times with a time ratio of 4about 1:60 or at the most 1:3600 with vsuciently small errors in actuating times, the improved apparatus easily .permits, according to the number of stages of the numeral roller system, the bridging over of a Whereas, hithertoat least in the scope of simple technical means- -graduation of one unit. The error in switching time here remains, as already mentioned, always smaller than l.

If, to give an example, a minute is chosen as the unit oi operating time, that is, if the axis of the predetermining mechanism is driven at exactly one revolution per minute, then with a five place numeral roller system the time periods possible may vary between 1 and 100,000 minutes y(that is, about 2V; months). If, for example, the `release of the intended actuation is desired at exactly 24 h o'urs after switching in the timed actuator, then the numeral roller system will be adjusted to 60x24=1440 minutes and the release will take piacepresuming correct running of the driving mechanism to timepositively to the fraction of a minute exactly after 24 hours.

In its principal respect the improved apparatus has been developed for the production of series photographs taken at intervals. But the operating mechanism can also lbe used with advantage where the so-called slow acting relays or time switches of present construction have either worked too inaccurately or in which the adjustability to any desired intervals of time was too complicated, e. g., ior the actuation of registering apparatus, drop loop instruments. remote ignitions, control of operating relays, long duration experiments in laboratories, and other experimental iields, retarded switching-in and out of any current circuits, and the like.

In the claim, the mechanism according to this invention will be referred to as a timed actuator,

, and-it will be understood that the release or operation effected after a predetermined set time interval may be the closing or opening of electrical circuit contacts, or the movement ot any member which is to be controlled periodically.

I claim:

In a timed actuator including a timing mechanism for driving the actuator, a predetermining mechanism consisting of two sets of coupled VYtotaliser wheels, driving and transfer pinions for the primary set of wheels and means for uncoupling the two sets for adjustably-setting the secondary set of wheels to indicate a required time period and the primary set to zero, a driving connection between the timing mechanism and the primary set of wheels whereby the iatter are actuated step vby step towards the time period initially indicated on the second set of wheels while the latter are zeroised, a plurality of cam discs each associated with a totaliser wheel of the secondary set, a switching member cooperating with said cam discs togmove when if:

the cams are aligned in the zerolsed position oi the secondary wheels, and thereby effect a switching operation, resetting means comprising a rocking reset lever on which the driving and transfer pinions of the primary set of wheels 1;

are carried, a resetting relay controlling the re set lever and having contacts which are disposed to be closed by the switching movement of the switching member whereby the relay is energised to rock the reset lever and disengage the said driving and transfer pinions from the primary set of wheels, a plurality of reset cams one secured to rotate with each primary wheel, and arms on the reset lever which engage said reset cams upon rocking oi the reset lever to return Eil the primary wheels and the secondary wheels coupled therewith to the initial' set positions. 

